High heels are a guilty pleasure for most women. They have been blamed for a range of health problems from bunions to back pain - whereas flat ballet pumps are much better for you, right?
Wrong. It may surprise you to hear that I regularly wear high heels (from my favourite pair of red stilettos to gladiator sandals and boots) and would recommend that if the heel height is correct, many women should discard their trainers and flats in favour of heels, for at least a few hours a day.
Flat is not always best, and a recent study in America found that running shoes can actually put a greater strain on your joints than sexy stilettos. Indeed, if you are a naturally high-heeled woman who keeps wearing flat shoes such as trainers or ballet shoes, you will be going against your natural foot type and will cause your feet no end of stress.
Every woman has her own perfect heel height, depending on the structure of her feet. If you take this into account when buying shoes, you can improve overall foot comfort considerably.
At my podiatric clinic I kept seeing patients who were experiencing painful feet and arch pain because they were wearing shoes with the wrong heel height for their feet.
I would look at their foot structure and explain the perfect heel height for them. This often transformed their foot problems, as they were then able to walk in more comfort.
The feet are marvels of architecture, with 28 bones each. At the point where the foot connects to the leg, there is one bone called the talus. Between this and the lower leg bone is a natural recess known as the sinus tarsi, which allows ankle flexibility. The size of the sinus tarsi varies from person to person and it is this that determines how much your ankle can move - and your ideal heel height.
Those with a lot of movement in the joint may suffer from fallen arches when they walk due to this foot architecture. Also known as flat feet, the problem can be remedied by wearing a high heel as these shoes force the foot into an arched position. Someone whose ankle joint is very stable is better off wearing flat shoes, as long as they are supportive.
The highs and lows...
For some women the recess of the sinus tarsi is moderate and a 1in or 2in heel will do the trick but others need a 3in heel to elevate the foot into an arched position. For them wearing heels will be more comfortable than wearing flats - and some women, such as Victoria Beckham, can happily wear heels all day, although of late she has been troubled by bunions.
A heel of up to 4½in is fine; anything more than that is bad for your posture as it makes your bottom jut out and overloads the toes and balls of the feet. These heels can be worn for short periods only, and are made for limos, not for walking.
If your feet naturally suit a high heel and you constantly wear flat shoes, you are going against your natural structure. That can be very tough on your feet in the long term. Wearing the right height of heel will help ensure you place your foot on the ground correctly - good old-fashioned heel, ball, toe action.
As women get older they may experience foot pain and move to a flatter shoe, thinking it will help, but it can make matters worse if they are suited to heels. Heels not only have to be the right height but in the right position: not too far back, but under the centre of the heel so they support your weight properly, following the natural line of your body.
The structure of the heel counter - the part of the shoe that holds your heel - is also very important. If it is too squashy and unsupportive, it will not give enough support, and that can cause heel pain. Cheaper ballet pumps are particularly prone to do this.
Emma's guide to being well heeled
* To find your perfect heel height, take off your shoes, sit on a chair and extend one leg straight in front of you.
* Where would your heel touch the ground? With your leg stretched out in front of you and the knee supported, make an imaginary line from the heel to the ground.
* If your foot is at a right angle to your outstretched leg and does not dangle, you have a low ankle-joint axis and will be more comfortable in flat shoes than in high heels. Kate Moss is the standard-bearer for flats - they are obviously what suit her feet best.
* If your foot points down, you need to measure the distance between the top of your big toe and an imaginary line from the bottom of your heel. This is the right heel height for you. Measure it against your favourite shoes - the ones you swear you are most comfortable in, no matter how high or low. I can almost guarantee the heel will match it.
Men and heels
Even men can benefit from wearing a heel. They too are subject to the heel-height rule.
A lot of fashionable men's shoes, such as Converse trainers, are completely flat, which is why I see young men with arch pain, heel pain and a range of other foot problems despite wearing 'good shoes'.
The key thing with any shoe, high or flat, is that it should fit properly, not pinch your toes and have a degree of flexibility. The pretty but cheap shoes that you get in some High Street shops are too rigid, so they cannot mould around your feet.
Obviously, most men will not want to wear a 4in-high heel no matter how much they might need one. What they can do is wear a shoe with some kind of heel, such as an Oxford or brogue, and see a podiatrist who can help choose an orthotic insole that raises the heel further and gives some arch support.
If you follow my three Supplefeet rules for foot care - scrub, moisturise and be shoe-savvy, you should have happy feet for life.
But beware of bunions
High heels become a bad thing when they are too high, worn for too long, or we walk too far in them. The upshot of this is, inevitably, pain.
By their nature, high heels throw all of the body weight on to the ball of the foot and the toes. The length of time a person can wear a heel depends on the individual - a good rule of thumb is not to wear any shoe for more than an hour after your feet start to hurt.
When they do, if you need to stay on your feet, change into a more comfortable shoe. Worn for too long, high heels can cause corns and calluses - these are areas in which the skin of the foot becomes thickened. Caused by pressure on that area, they are the body's way of protecting the foot.
However, they are unsightly and can be painful. If you suffer from these problems you can file them down with a pumice stone. But do not cut them off yourself. See a trained professional who can also advise you as to what is causing them.
Bunions, a genetic condition in which the big toe joint begins to lean inwards and becomes enlarged, can also be triggered by wearing very pointy shoes. |
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